


liberandum

by angelaxy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Comfort/Angst, Drowning, F/M, Hopeful Ending, Mental Health Issues, Near Death Experiences, Rescue, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26831752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelaxy/pseuds/angelaxy
Summary: There was a girl standing in that certain spot.  Always in the afternoon, always facing the sun, even though Theo only ever witnessed her side profile, there was no emotion to see in her face.As he rescued her, a hope sparked.
Relationships: Theo/Reira
Kudos: 1
Collections: Ange's Whumptober 2020, Whumptober 2020, ` Temptation in the Dark `





	liberandum

**Author's Note:**

> _please read the tags before reading, to be safe~_  
>  I don't write her thoughts and some scene details (drowning, and mansion parts) in this fic so it's not too dark to read, bcs I kept those for the actual story :D  
> xoxo

The Seine river in the brilliant golden afternoon was a charming scene. The bridge filled with people, carriages passed by, families and couples walked through the bridges together while some others were returning to their home. Theo himself often passed this bridge around this time after work in the city.

One sight never changed in the Pont Neuf.

There was a girl standing still and leaning against the stone railing of the bridge. 

Always in the afternoon, always facing the sun, always wearing either black or white dresses. Long strands of her dark hair swayed whenever the breeze passed but her face remained the same. Even though he only ever witnessed her side profile, there was no emotion to see there. No happiness, not even a trace of sorrow. 

The sight of her was like a painting, an art of its own.

This girl wasn’t there only for sight-seeing. Her eyes always stared either to the sky, or the river — never once bothered with the sounds or people around her. And she remained there until the nightfall.

It had been months since the first time he saw her on that bridge, a sight that unintentionally committed to his memories and made Theo wonder and wonder. Today, he approached the girl, driven by curiosity.

Theo stood beside her, facing the same way.

“You’re always here, what’s so interesting about standing here looking at the sun?” He wasn’t usually engaged with girls but for whatever reason, he couldn’t ignore her anymore. _Why are you always standing here?_ Questions swirled in his mind whenever he walked past her everyday on this bridge.

No one else cared about her presence there, they all were minding their own business. He was supposed to do the same and yet, here he was. The strange girl was quiet for some time, that he thought he wouldn't receive an answer.

“Death is inevitable.” Reira murmured in a low voice, then looking down to the water on the river.

Theo himself was a vampire, he knew what death was — he died once. Therefore he scoffed, “Why? Do you want to die?”

Instead of answering, Reira spoke, “Why do you want to live?” Eyes glanced over to him with a blank stare.

A void full of darkness.

The darkest he’d ever seen.

Theo quickly recovered from the momentary trance, “Don’t you want to live and see what the world can offer?”

Reira averted her eyes to the afternoon sun across the horizon without answering him.

“You shouldn’t think of death that way, there’s more to life than you might think.” Because he saw it himself, his own brother was someone who had a rougher past than most people, yet Vincent dealt with it, picked up his paintbrush and became a person who appreciated life so much more.

Someone who thought life was beautiful.

This girl beside him had to see that death wasn’t the answer.

“I’ll die whenever I want to.” Reira answered stubbornly with a deadly calm voice.

Theo found no reason to continue the conversation, at least for now. “Girls are always like this, acting out with their lies and making scenes to beg for attention.” He said in a sarcastic tone, calling her bluff as he turned around to leave.

A few steps, then there was a sound in the water far below, a loud water splash.

In sickening clarity, Theo halted and turned back to see the girl wasn’t there anymore; she jumped into the river. “Tch.” He leaned over the stone railings and stared at a big ripple on the water for a second.

He jumped with no hesitation, following her into the water.

To save her.

Moments later, Theo dragged her to the side, laying her down on the solid ground by the river and seeing her chest wasn’t moving. After checking her pulse, he pumped her chest, breathed air into her mouth with all efforts to pump out all the water that filled her lungs.

Seconds passed, he didn’t give up and kept trying to save her. “Come on, stay alive!”

Reira finally coughed out some water, her eyes shot open.

Theo breathed in relief as he turned her to the side. Waiting until she was done coughing the water out of her lungs. Carefully and gently, he released her, sitting down beside her before _barking_ with a stern voice, “Why did you jump — do you want to die that much?!”

“..I’m not a liar.” Reira said through her chattering teeth, a pair of blank eyes stared up at him. Even after what happened, she wasn’t even gone into shock as if death was where she belonged. 

Perplexed, he looked at her for a long time before realizing she was shivering. “I know now.” 

“It’s.. It’s cold.” Her voice was low, she sat up and hugged herself in the desperation for some warmth. Fragile shoulders trembling, her whole body and long hair drenched thoroughly.

Theo took off his coat and wrapped her with it although the weight of a drenched coat would only weigh her smaller frame, but he had to keep her warm before she caught a cold. By instinct, he hugged her, sharing his warmth with one thought as his heartbeat slowed down from all the situation she caused. _You’re not like other girls._

The afternoon sun began to disappear, chasing out all the warmth of sunlight below the horizon. The wind was colder now, the sky turned into dark velvet, and stars glimmered. Seeing he had no choice, Theo scooped the shivering girl into his arms to the carriage and brought her to the mansion since she didn’t answer when he asked her about her home or any clue about her identity.

The day after, Reira disappeared from the mansion but Vincent had told him she went home with their carriage, safe and sound. In the end, she never gave out her name or said anything at all.

That afternoon, Theo had to pass the same bridge after visiting an art exhibition in the city. His gaze drifted to the bridge, the exact spot where she usually was. Now it was empty. _Looks like you won’t be here today,_ he thought, and actually hoped she won’t be there anymore for her own goodness. Besides, most girls won’t ever come back to a place where she almost died. _Death doesn’t suit you. Open your eyes to the world._

He turned around with an emotion that was never there before, his foot took a step forward, eyes averted from a certain spot. 

However, the sight before him halted his steps.

In front of him was the girl from yesterday, the very one he saved from this river, approaching from the opposite direction with her usual expressionless face, but he could notice something glazed in her eyes.

A spark of hope, as short as it was.

“So you returned, hondje.” Theo said, giving her an _endearing_ nickname, eyes fixated on her and a smirk curved the corner of his mouth.

The slight twinge in his heart was unmistakable.

This girl was not like a miserable puppy he saved in the street, she was the girl who had destroyed the walls around his heart with something akin to death.

 _What’s your name?_ He wondered.


End file.
